(VOVworld) – A conference has been held in Hanoi on the role of women in the country’s sustainable development and international integration programmes. The event marked the end of the first phase of a project to empower women launched by the United Nations Development Programme.

Pratibha Melta, UN Coordinator in Vietnam, emphasized the need to get all relevant agencies involved in promoting gender equality, and bringing more opportunities for women. (Photo: Phuong Hoa/VNA)

Addressing the opening ceremony, Nguyen Phuong Nga, Deputy Foreign Minister, said that to implement Vietnam’s strategy on international development and international integration, the utilizing of all resources, including women’s capabilities, has become a necessity. She underlined “this year’s meeting of particular significance marking the close cooperation between the Foreign Ministry and the UNDP in improving the leadership capacity for women in the international integration context. Over the past 5 years, more than 200 activities in various forms and scales, have helped the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and other related ministries, agencies, and provinces contribute to gender equality and for the advancement of Vietnamese women.”

Pratibha Mehta, UN Resident Coordinator in Vietnam, said Vietnam had made remarkable progress towards completing the Millennium Development Goals including targets on poverty reduction, education, gender equality, and child care.